Tour de France 2015 to start in Utrecht | Cyclingnews.com Tour de France 2015 to start in Utrecht Dutch city has been trying to secure Grand Départ for over ten years 1 / 4 Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme unveils the 2014 Tour de France route (AFP) The Tour de France 2014 Yellow Jersey: a lot like 2013's (BikeRadar) Chris Froome (Team Sky) takes the win in the Saitama Criterium (AFP) Huge crowds lined Rotterdam for the Tour's depart. (Bettini Photo) The Tour de France will start in the Dutch city of Utrecht in 2015, race organiser ASO has confirmed. It will be the sixth time the sport's biggest race starts in the Netherlands. Related Articles Tom Boonen wants to return to Tour de France “Utrecht has tried to get the Grand Départ for a long time now. They have been working hard to secure it. They deserve it. We are delighted with this Grand Départ,” Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said on Dutch radio.

Rumours that Utrecht had secured the Grand Départ for 2015 began a few weeks ago but the city council denied it at the time. But in a secret council meeting they confirmed the €5 million of public funds for the start and guaranteed the other €5 million of corporate funds needed to organize the event. The Tour de France will return to the Netherlands just five years after the start in Rotterdam. Utrecht was also in the running for the 2010 start but kept campaigning to secure the Grand Depart. “Utrecht is a town that lives with the bike. It’s a student’s town, a young town that understands the importance of this event. We are delighted with the Grand Départ under the Dom church tower,” Prudhomme said. “We have been trying to get the Grand Départ for twelve years,” Jeroen Wielaert of the organizing committee told Dutch radio NOS. “Christian Prudhomme was impressed by our perseverance.” The Tour de France first started outside of France in Amsterdam in 1954. Utrecht will be the sixth time the Tour starts in the Netherlands.

After Amsterdam the country hosted the Grand Départ in Scheveningen (1973), Leiden (1978), Den Bosch (1996) and Rotterdam (2010). That makes the Netherlands the record holder for foreign Tour de France Grand Départs. The Giro d’Italia started in Amsterdam in 2010 and the Vuelta a España in Assen in 2009. The plans for a 2015 Vuelta start in the Netherlands have been cancelled in favour of the Tour de France. The official presentation for the Utrecht Grand Depart will be in Paris on the 28th of November with former Tour de France winner Jan Janssen as the event’s ambassador. The 2014 Tour de France starts in Yorkshire . 2015 will mark the first time the Tour starts outside of France for two consecutive years.

Share on Facebook Grand Départ 2015 - Utrecht - Tour de France 2015 Practical information Utrecht, from patience to exhilaration Patience rewarded… It was indeed back in 2002 that Amaury Sport Organisation received a letter of intent on behalf of Utrecht to host the Grand Départ of the Tour de France. The project had to wait for twelve years before it could take place. Desired all along its gestation period, several times pushed back but never called into question on its principle, on one side like on the other. And could it have been otherwise knowing that in Utrecht bikes are the privileged means of transport by inhabitants of all age? After this long time waiting, the dream will indeed become reality during the month of July 2015. The best riders in the world, this fabulous show and this atmosphere like no other that will be seen around the globe thanks to television, will take place in Utrecht, in the heart of the Netherlands.

Enough to sustain the enthusiasm of the entire population of this city of 322 000 inhabitants, fourth of the country, that was born in the antiquity, developed throughout the Middle Age and today owes its reputation to its university. An enthusiasm of course shared by Jan van Zanen, Mayor of the city: “When we were children, he remembers with emotion, we couldn’t sleep due to the pure excitement coming from the approaching celebration of our birthday, the first day of a vacation, or Christmas Eve. Well today, I have the same feeling of exhilaration at a moment when Utrecht is getting ready to welcome this worldwide sporting event that the Tour de France is”. First stage Utrecht > Utrecht, 14-km individual time-trial The netherlands, The other country of cycling The two Dutch winners of the Tour de France, Jan Janssen and Joop Zoetemelk, appear to be the stars of a nation that has distinguished itself by cycles in the history of the Tour. A new era could well be starting with the likes of Laurens Ten Dam and Bauke Mollema… With more bikes than inhabitants, the Netherlands have in time earned the unofficial title of most cycling country in the world.

Their representatives have however taken their time in being just as dense in the victory list of the most prestigious competitions starting with the Tour de France. Indeed, it wasn’t before 1936 that the first Dutchmen appeared on the Tour. Among the four pioneers of the Dutch national team, Theofiel Middlekamp had never seen mountains but rapidly proved he wasn’t exactly a soft rider. By winning in Grenoble after struggling up the Galibier, he became the first Dutch stage winner and managed that performance again in 1938. However that didn’t prevent him from ignoring the Tour for most of his career. “I can’t live on glory and honour”, admitted the future World Champion (1947). It wasn’t before 1951 that we were to discover the identity of the first Dutch Yellow Jersey. But the first glory day of Wim van Est, winner of the stage to Dax, was rapidly hit by drama. After going up to the Col d’Aubisque, he crashed off a 70m cliff but remained unhurt. That was the end of his golden adventure.

“The miracle man of the Aubisque” then captured his best result on the 1957 Tour that he finished in 8th position. The next triumphant leap was taken eleven years later by Jan Janssen. However, by conquering the GC lead on the final stage, the first winner of the Tour wearing glasses never witnessed the joy of wearing the Yellow Jersey on the road, but only on the final podium by La Cipale track. Based on perseverance in his battles against Merckx, Thévenet or Hinault, Joop Zoetemelk was to be the next to add, in 1980, a second Orange line to the winner’s list of the Tour. Added to his triumph, it was in his path that started the golden age of climbing Dutchmen, especially impressive on the bends going up to l’Alpe-d’Huez. In only twelve years, the eight successes captured by Zoetemelk, Kuiper, Winnen, Rooks and Theunisse appeared like a conquest of the summits that also brought thousands of fans to the legendary climb. It even went on to become the “mountain of the Dutch” on each visit of the Tour.

Since then the breakaway experts of the Rabobank era, struck the minds in style. Renewal now comes from the Belkin team that showed it was able to shine on different types of terrain. Proof of that with Laurens Ten Dam and Bauke Mollema these past two years. The show was also Lars Boom’s, when his victory on the fabulous cobbled stage to Arenberg Porte du Hainaut stopped a nine-year stage victory drought. The Grands Départs in the Netherlands 1954: Amsterdam Mayor of Utrecht Experiencing the real thing For many people, the excitement of looking forward is a highlight among childhood memories. As a child, we couldn't sleep with pure excitement about the approaching celebration of our birthday, first day of vacation, stay with grandma or the coming of St.Nicholas. For me as mayor of Utrecht, the prospect of welcoming the Tour de France 2015 is generating a similar excitement. My visits to the 'Grand Départ' and finish of the 2014 edition, in Leeds and Paris respectively, only deepened this excitement. Really, within a few months, about half the world will watch the cycling greats going around in my own city...

Really, about the other half will be drawn to our city in person to experience the Tour the France for themselves... No need to accentuate that both peloton and cycling fans will be welcomed with all possible enthusiasm and that Utrecht, City of Knowledge, Culture and Cycling, will show its very best side. Supported by many local people and organizations, and, of course, by the Tour de France organization, we can be sure that our anticipatory excitement will straightly lead to the fascinating experience of the real thing. Christian PRUDHOMME Director of the Tour de France Utrecht: cycling in its heart Utrecht is a city that knows how to patiently cultivate its aesthetic appeal. We received the first application letter from the city to host a Grand Start of the Tour de France in 2002. Consequently, they had to wait more than ten years for this project to come to fruition. A project desired throughout its development, postponed several times, but whose principle was never called into question, on one side like the other, because Le Tour recognised straight away that the City of Utrecht was an ally in the major cause of promoting cycling. Still more than elsewhere in the Netherlands, the bicycle is king.

As proof, an impressive garage with a capacity of more than 20,000 bikes will be built near the station. For cycling enthusiasts like ourselves, such a building will rival with the Dom, the sumptuous tower of the Saint Martin Cathedral whose bells rang out the French national anthem on our first visit, to our great surprise. This serenade underlined the spirit of aptness and initiative of the country’s fourth biggest city, already renowned for being… unjustly unsung! Unavoidable for young Dutch people, who cycle every day to the biggest university in the country, Utrecht is pouring its energy and enthusiasm into a future devoted to cycling. We are evidently both pedalling in the same direction… The union of all these cycling hopes forms a shared and evident discourse, whose message will be a convincing one. The Grand Start in July 2015 will place Utrecht at the heart of this movement. Sixth Grand Start: a record The Grand Start of the Tour de France in Utrecht in 2015 will be the sixth to have taken place in the Netherlands, which is a record for starts outside the borders of France. Furthermore, it was in the Netherlands that the Tour de France started abroad for the first time.

The year was 1954, the venue Amsterdam, the Dutch capital. It was followed later by Scheveningen (1973), Leiden (1978), ‘s-Hertogenbosch (1996) and Rotterdam (2010). Nine stage hosting towns Utrecht will become the ninth town or city in the Netherlands to host the Tour de France. In addition to those which have welcomed a Grand Start, there are also Maastricht in 1969, Saint-Willebrord in 1978 and Valkenburg in 1992 and 2006 that have hosted stages. Roll of honour Theofiel Middelkamp was the first Dutch rider to win a stage on the Tour de France. Even though, he had never seen a mountain before winning in 1936 on the stage between Aix-les-Bains and Grenoble which took in the Col du Galibier pass. In total, including the team time-trials, there have been 167 Dutch victories, with the last one achieved by Pieter Weening in 2005.

Two Yellow Jerseys in Paris In 1968, he was the first Dutchman but also the first bespectacled rider to win the Tour. It was on completion of the last stage, a time-trial between Melun and Paris that Jan Janssen, with a 38 second gap, beat Belgian Herman Van Springel. Twelve years later, in 1980, it was the turn of Joop Zoetemelk to climb onto the highest step on the podium on the Champs-Élysées. After having finished in second place five times, on his tenth attempt he was finally rewarded for his perseverance. Located in the heart of the Netherlands and capital of the province of the same name, Utrecht, with its 322,000 inhabitants, is the fourth biggest city in the country. Founded in the Antiquity during the Roman era, in the Middle Ages it was an important religious and commercial centre. Later, in 1713, it hosted the signing of the Utrecht treaty that ended the War of the Spanish Succession. Today, Utrecht is renowned for its university, which is the country’s biggest and one of the most prestigious in Europe.

The Dom, the 112-metre high tower of Saint Martin Cathedral, is the symbol of the city through which pass canals bordered by terraces, cafés and restaurants. Utrecht > Utrecht 13,7 km - Individual time-trial The Tour de France 2015 will start with a 13.7 kilometre time-trial. The riders will tackle a circuit of which entire route will cross the city from west to east and back again on flat terrain. The starting ramp will be set up in front of the Jaarbeurs Utrecht Trade Centre, which will also play host to the reception facilities and press centre. The race will first head to the Stadion Galgenwaard, the football stadium that is home to FC Utrecht. From there, after a detour to the north, the route will head to the Utrecht Science Park, the university, before turning west again. It will go past the historical centre and Maliesingel before passing in front of the railway museum and reaching the finish next to Utrecht central station. Download (.pdf) Utrecht > ... Once again, the Jaarbeurs Utrecht Trade Centre will play host to the start of the second stage.

The pack will then parade down the streets of the old quarters and alongside the canals before passing under the arcades of the Dom, the tower of the Saint Martin Cathedral. Afterwards, it will head to the Maliebaan promenade and pass in front of the house which witnessed the founding, in 1883, of the Nederlandse Vélocipèdisten Bond, the first cycling club in the Netherlands. The actual start will take place on the ‘t Goylaan and, after a loop to the north of the city followed by twenty kilometres through Leidsche Rijn, the new district of west Utrecht, the Tour de France will head towards... 2015 Tour de France to start in Utrecht - Cycling Weekly Cycling Weekly 0shares 0shares The 2015 Tour de France will start abroad in Utrecht, in The Netherlands, the city announced on its Twitter website. Tour boss, Christian Prudhomme also confirmed the news to TV broadcaster, NOS. “The start of the Tour de France in Utrecht is good for the Netherlands, good for the city and the region, and good for sport.

It is a fantastic party,” Mayor Aleid Wolfsen said, according to Dutch website NU. “The fact that the Tour is coming to Utrecht is a culmination of everyone’s efforts. Businesses made a significant financial contribution, which is unique, especially in these economic times.” Organiser Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) will officially unveil the Grand Départ at home in Paris and in Utrecht on November 28. It will be the sixth time the French Grand Tour has started in The Netherlands, beginning with Amsterdam in 1954. Most recently, it took off from Rotterdam in 2010, when Sky debuted in the Tour. Scheveningen (1973), Leiden (1978) and Den Bosch (1996) also hosted the start. The Tour de France will start in Yorkshire next year. It is the Tour’s 21st foreign start, a history which began down the road from Utrecht in Amsterdam in 1954. The university city with a population of 316,448 sits just indland from Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

Utrecht has been working for years to host the Tour’s Grand Départ, which will consist of around three days of build-up and another to two to three stages in the area. In 2010, it appeared close with Düsseldorf but ASO ultimately decided on Rotterdam. Fabian Cancellara (CSC) won the opening prologue in the city and after the start in Rotterdam, Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre) won the sprint in Brussels the next day. In 2010, however, Utrecht welcomed the Giro d’Italia. Its second stage travelled from Amsterdam to Utrecht, where Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Transitions) won. Economic impact Its candidacy appeared in danger with the team Rabobank’s doping revelations over the past year. After 17 years, the Dutch bank pulled the plug on its team sponsorship and according to NOS, the Utrecht had its doubts. Wolfsen and his team, however, were able to put together €10m (£8.33). They raised €5m to match the city’s contribution to the Tour’s Grand Départ. Yorkshire put together a similar bid for the 2014 start.

Andrew Denton, Head of Media for Yorkshire’s Grand Départ told Cycling Weekly at the time that they believe the economic impact is worth 10 times the amount, or £100m. Tour de France to start in Utrecht, Netherlands in 2015 FacebookEmail Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest Tour de France to start in Utrecht, Netherlands in 2015 UTRECHT, Netherlands (AP) - Utrecht will host the start of the 2015 Tour de France, making it the sixth city in this cycling-mad country to stage the "Grand Depart" of cycling's marquee race. The city said in Post to Facebook Tour de France to start in Utrecht, Netherlands in 2015 UTRECHT, Netherlands (AP) - Utrecht will host the start of the 2015 Tour de France, making it the sixth city in this cycling-mad country to stage the "Grand Depart" of cycling's marquee race. The city said in Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted! A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

Join the Nation's Conversation To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Tour de France to start in Utrecht, Netherlands in 2015 USATODAY 9:18 a.m. ET Nov. 8, 2013 The Tour de France will start in Utrecht, Netherlands in 2015. (Photo: Thomas Coex, AFP, Getty Images) Story Highlights Utrecht, Netherlands named starting city for 2015 Tour de France UTRECHT, Netherlands (AP) - Utrecht will host the start of the 2015 Tour de France, making it the sixth city in this cycling-mad country to stage the "Grand Depart" of cycling's marquee race. The city said in a statement on Friday it was "extremely happy with this enormous economic, cultural and tourism impulse." Details of the opening stage of the race will be revealed on Nov. 28, Tour organizers say on the race website. Amsterdam was the first Dutch city to host the Tour's opening, in 1954.

Since then, the race also has started in Scheveningen (1973), Leiden (1978), 's-Hertogenbosch (1996) and Rotterdam (2010). Cycling is a popular sport and means of transport in the Netherlands, but only two Dutch riders have won the Tour: Jan Janssen in 1968 and Joop Zoetemelk in 1980. NEVER MISS OUT Sports Stay in the know and in the zone, 7 days a week, with scores, analysis, and in-depth features and commentary. Utrecht 2015: the colour of cycling - News pre-race - Tour de France 2014 Homepage > The news > Utrecht 2015: the colour of cycling share Utrecht 2015: the colour of cycling news28.11.2013Pre-race © / A.S.O. In 2015, the Netherlands will host the Grand Start of the Tour de France for the sixth time.

Utrecht, one of the cities which have done the most to foster a cycling culture will be the meeting point for the riders and fans to celebrate cycling in all its dimensions. The festivities started this morning at the residence of the Dutch ambassador to France in Paris. Bernard Hinault, Jan Janssen and Joop Zoetemelk, some of the distinguished guests in attendance, then hopped onto a Thalys painted in Tour livery which took them to Utrecht. The countdown has begun. There is a year, seven months and six days until the 102nd edition of the Tour de France kicks off from Utrecht. The fourth largest city in the Netherlands will be at the heart of the cycling world as well as its country. After bursting back onto the scene in July 2013 with Bauke Mollema (6th) and Laurens Ten Dam (13th), the Dutch armada will work hard to shine in front of the home crowds in the opening time trial of July 4. A 13.7 km pancake-flat course entirely within the city will decide who gets to wear the first yellow jersey of the 2015 Tour.

The next day, the peloton will congregate in front of Utrecht's Exhibition Centre for the start of the first road race stage. Plenty of cards to play for the Dutch, who have not won a Tour stage since 2005. The roaring crowds will hope that one of their heroes can follow in the footsteps of Jan Janssen and Joop Zoetemelk, who won the Grande Boucle in 1968 and 1980, respectively. Christian Prudhomme, Director of the Tour de France: "The Netherlands is a cycling nation, one which has written quite a few remarkable chapters of the history of the Tour de France. Utrecht's main attraction was the way it's integrated cycling into its day-to-day life. Its natural and palpable relationship with cycling is quite simply an inspiration". Key dates of the Utrecht Grand Start • Wednesday, July 1: opening of the reception area and press centre at Utrecht's Jaarbeurs Exhibition Centre. • Thursday, July 2: team presentation in the Lepelenburg Park.

• Saturday, July 4: Stage 1, Utrecht (13.7 km ITT) • Sunday, July 5: start of stage 2, Utrecht–? The news in pictures Tour de France 2015: When and where does the race start and how can I watch it? | The Independent Tour de France 2015: When and where does the race start and how can I watch it? Your guide to the jersey contenders and the stages that will define the race Friday 3 July 2015 08:07 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Will Chris Froome wear yellow in Paris again in 2015? Getty Images On Saturday 4 July 198 riders will begin the 102nd Tour de France with a short, technical time trial through the Dutch city of Utrecht. 10 of them will be British, the most since 1955, with Chris Froome part of a select group of contenders with realistic hopes of entering Paris in the iconic yellow jersey of race winner. All that separates him from glory is 22 days and over 2000 miles of riding.

Here are the answers to the key questions about this year's edition of the world's most watched, most celebrated and most gruelling bike race: When is the race? The Tour begins on 4 July in Utrecht, the Netherlands; it is the sixth time the race starts in the country, a record for a country that doesn't share a border with France, and the first since 2010. The final stage takes place on 26 July with the Tour finishing, as has been tradition since 1975, on the famous Champs-Élysées. How can I watch it? Every stage will be broadcast live on ITV4 and Eurosport, with ITV4 offering daily highlights at 7pm. Have there been rule changes? Yes. Time bonuses make a comeback, with the first, second and third riders earning 10, 6 and 4 second bonuses during stages two to eight. No bonuses will be awarded for time trial stages, but the sprint scoring system also changes.

A stage win is worth 50 points instead of 45, with second 30 instead of 35 and third 20 instead of 30, making stage wins much more valuable than before; the new system effects Stages 2, 5, 6, 7, 15 and 21. For the mountain stages and opening time trial the winner will receive 20 points. No points will be awarded at the team time trial on Stage 9. Who is going to win? It seems inconceivable that on July 26 anybody apart from Chris Froome, Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali or Nairo Quintana will be wearing the Yellow Jersey on the Champs Elysées. Of the four Froome is perhaps the favourite, his impressive Critérium du Dauphiné victory edging him in front of Contador, who may still be feeling the effects of winning this year’s Giro D’Italia. Quintana has kept a low profile this season, but the diminutive climber will relish a mountainous route with an unusual lack of time-trialling.

Nibali has struggled for form this campaign, while his Astana team has been embroiled in controversy, but it would be foolish to write off a man who won the race in such fine style last year. Are Team Sky strong enough? They certainly should be. The addition of the excellent Wout Poels, Leopold Konig and Nicholas Roche to the lineup eases the burden on Richie Porte in the mountains, and in Geraint Thomas the squad possesses one of the peloton’s most versatile riders. National champion Peter Kennaugh more than deserves a second Tour start, while Ian Stannard and Luke Rowe provide willing horsepower for flatter days and the all-important team time trial. What about the Green Jersey? Weighting the points classification more heavily towards flatter stages and first-place finishes means Peter Sagan's versatility and consistency securing him a fourth consecutive Green Jersey is far from a foregone conclusion. With Marcel Kittel, who took four sprint victories in each of the last two editions, missing through illness, the stage is set for Mark Cavendish to return to winning form in the race he prizes above all others.

The Manxman crashed out on the opening stage last year, but has secured 13 victories already this season, and pushed Sky and Peter Kennaugh all the way in the national raod championships. Standing in his way will be the Norwegian Alexander Kristoff, who won the Tour of Flanders in spring and has been the season’s standout sprinter. Which young riders will make an impact? Like Quintana Thibaut Pinot, who finished third last year, will relish the lack of time-trialling on the route, and he will look to spring an ambush if the big four become too preoccupied with each other. Warren Barguil, another precocious French climber, makes a much-anticipated Tour debut, while British fans will be eagerly tracking the progress of the prodigiously talented twins Simon and Adam Yates, who both ride for Orica-GreenEDGE. Which stages will prove decisive? Vincenzo Nibali struck a decisive blow during last year’s day on the cobbles so stage 4 to Cambrai, which features seven sectors of pavé, will again provide an early test of the GC riders’ mettle.

The comparative lack of racing against the clock ensures that stage 9’s team time trial in Brittany takes on added significance. Of the plethora of days in the mountains stage 10’s summit finish to La Pierre-Saint-Martin stands out as it falls directly after the first rest day, two days before a gruelling stage 12 to the Plateau de Beille. If there is any doubt as to the destination of the Yellow Jersey going into stage 20 expect fireworks on the Alpe D’Huez – the Tour’s most iconic climb always serves up a thrilling spectacle. 2015 Tour de France to start in Dutch city of Utrecht | VeloNews.com Home » News » Road » 2015 Tour de France to start in Dutch city of Utrecht 2015 Tour de France to start in Dutch city of Utrecht By Gregor Brown Published Nov. 8, 2013 MILAN (VN) — Utrecht’s successful bid to host the start of the 2015 Tour de France, announced this morning, only continues the recent trend of grand tours going abroad. The end does not appear in sight, and rightly so, as both organizers and their foreign hosts are benefiting.

Aleid Wolfsen, the mayor of the Dutch city, said this morning that his local organizing committee put together a bid of 10 million euros ($13.4 million). Half of that came from the city and the committee was able to obtain the other half from businesses. “It is good for the Netherlands, good for the city and the region, and good for sport,” Wolfsen said, according to Dutch website NU. “It is a culmination of everyone’s efforts. Businesses made a significant financial contribution, which is unique, especially in these economic times.” Just yesterday, the city council accepted the financing proposal. Once the money was confirmed, they had council members had little reason to disagree. The economic impact is estimated to be 10 times greater than the investment. Andrew Denton, Head of Media for Yorkshire’s Grand Départ, told VeloNews last year that the amount of their winning bid for the 2014 Tour start is confidential.

He said it was “considerably less” than 10 million British pounds, but added, “We believe it will be worth £100m to us.” Belfast and the surrounding area stand to earn $16 million, or 2.6 times their initial investment to host the 2014 Giro d’Italia. Next year’s edition starts with two stages in Belfast and sees its third travel over the border to Dublin. Last year, The Belfast Telegraph estimated the cost to be 3.8 million pounds, ($6.13 million) with an impact of 10 million pounds ($16 million). The trend Utrecht will mark the Tour’s 102nd edition and its 21st trip abroad. The first time was in 1954, which was just down the road in Amsterdam, but the majority of its travels have come in recent times. From 2006 to 2015, over a 10-year period, 60 percent of the Grand Départs have been (or will be) on foreign soil. The Vuelta a España has only been abroad twice in its 68 editions.

The Giro d’Italia will mark its 11th trip abroad next year in Belfast. Its first was only in 1965 but 40 percent of its starts over the most recent 10-year-period have been (or will be) foreign. Cities and regional governments keep calling organizers, too. Utrecht was already in the running to host the 2010 Tour start but the city and Düsseldorf lost out to Rotterdam. It hosted a Giro stage finish in 2010, which Tyler Farrar (Garmin) won, and kept knocking on the door of the Tour’s organizer, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO). “It’s an international event. Two billion people worldwide are watching the Grand Départ, images of Utrecht will be sent around the world,” Councilor Hans Spigt told local radio and TV broadcaster, RTV Utrecht. “It’s a big event, also for business and this city’s economy. It creates a lot of job opportunities and a very nice celebration.” The organizers are happy cities are ready to pay for their races regardless of borders. France and Italy are some of the most impacted countries in the Eurozone Crisis.

This morning, Standard and Poor’s (S&P) cut France’s credit rating to AA from AA+. It becomes clear that going abroad makes good sense for everyone involved in the grand tour business. Tour de France 2015 starts with time trial | Cyclingnews.com Tour de France 2015 starts with time trial Utrecht presents 13.7 kilometer course through the city center 1 / 4 The Tour de France 2014 Yellow Jersey: a lot like 2013's (BikeRadar) 2 / 4 The third stage of the Tour de France will end at Buckingham Palace, similar to the finish of the 2013 Prudential RideLondon - Surrey Classic (Pete Goding/Godingimages.com) Former Tour de France winner Alberto Contador congratulates Froome on his win (Scott Mitchell) Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme unveils the 2014 Tour de France route (Bettini Photo) Skip Ad The 2015 Tour de France starts in Utrecht with a 13.7 kilometre time trial on the 4th of July 2015.

It's going to be first time the Tour starts with a time trial again after the 2013 and 2014 editions [in Corsica and Yorkshire] take off with a road stage. The 13.7 kilometre long course starts and finishes at the Jaarbeurs conference center next to Utrecht Central station. Related Articles Tour de France 2015 second stage will start in Utrecht and visit North Sea coast The first stage is not a prologue because that is maximized at 8 kilometers, the organization stressed from the launch in Paris on Thursday. The last time the Tour de France started with a non-prologue time trial was in Monaco in 2009. The 15.5 kilometer long race was won by Fabian Cancellara . Lars Boom looks forward to the first stage of the Tour in his own country. "I think every Dutch rider would like to start this race," the Belkin rider told press agency ANP. Boom who is a time trial specialist sees possibilities. "A longer time trial is nice for the crowds alongside the route. You get to keep the Tour in your city longer than if you would have it as a start of a normal stage only.

Personally I have no problems with this distance even though a prologue would have been good too. I will train specifically for this event," he added. The second stage starts on the fifth of July and will pass the iconic Dom church tower. When Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme heard the French national anthem Marseillaise played by the church bells, he was sold. "Utrecht can be praised for its perseverance," he said at the launch in Paris referring to the fact the Dutch city had been trying to get the Grand Départ from 2002. "When they played La Marseillaise three times from the Dom tower I was sold," the Frenchman smiled. It is unknown where the second stage of the 2015 Tour de France will finish. That will be revealed at the full route presentation in October 2014. However, the Tour de France organization ASO did reserve 1,000 hotel rooms in the province of Zeeland. With the World Ports Classics [which is based on the 2010 Grand Départ in Rotterdam] being a success for the ASO, the second stage might well become a day defined by the Zeeland echelons.

The second stage of the 2010 Giro d'Italia finished in Utrecht. Tyler Farrar sprinted to victory beating Matthew Goss and Fabio Sabatini. Utrecht and Tour de France rivals gear up for grandest of départs | Sport | The Guardian Tour de France 2015 Utrecht and Tour de France rivals gear up for grandest of départs Cycling-mad Dutch city embraces its big day while Contador, Nibali, Froome and Quintana get set for one of the most exciting Tours in years Chris Froome rides out with his Team Sky team-mates in the buildup to Saturday’s Grand Départ. Photograph: Laurent Cipriani/AP Friday 3 July 2015 15.08 EDT Last modified on Monday 4 April 2016 08.45 EDT Share on Messenger Close From gleaming top-end racers down to rusting bone-shakers whose best days are long behind them, the sight of bicycles swarming the streets of Utrecht is far from rare.

How fitting, then, that Saturday’s opening stage of the Tour de France will bring to fruition the labours of 13 long years since this Dutch city first threw its hat in the ring to play host to the world’s most famous bike race. Finally, the Grand Départ has arrived. The 2015 Tour begins with a looping 13.8km individual time trial through the streets of the compact city centre, but will be no less punishing or closely fought for its brevity. The winner will be zipped into the leader’s yellow jersey and will quietly fancy his chances of keeping it on his shoulders for a series of tricky but far from brutal stages to come in the week ahead. The veteran Swiss Fabian Cancellara, Germany’s Tony Martin and the UK’s Alex Dowsett are among a handful of riders with realistic chances of winning the stage and with it the honour of leading the peloton westwards from Utrecht towards the peninsulas and islands of Zeeland on Sunday in the maillot jaune.

On any normal occasion, the addition of another 198 Lycra-clad cyclists would scarcely raise an eyebrow in a locale whose population is so devoted to cycling that everyday life plays out to the soundtrack of the polite warning jingles of bells on handlebars. Indeed, such is the determination of the local elders to show off their city’s proud cycling heritage that they have placed the finish of today’s stage beside Utrecht’s new bike park – as in, an actual parking area for bikes – near the main train station, where spaces have been made available for 12,500 two-wheeled conveyances. Elsewhere, the local denizens have taken up the cudgels waved so enthusiastically by their Yorkshire brethren a year ago, with most shop windows in the beautiful and ancient old town given over to celebrations of the Tour and its history. Not even the most majestic local trees have avoided being swept up by the enthusiasm, with almost all having been swaddled in yellow, green or polka dot, those famous colours assorted members of the peloton are about to contest with such vigour.

A vibrant city with a population of only 328,000, many of them students at the country’s biggest university, Utrecht has unsurprisingly embraced the Tour’s fleeting stay and imminent departure. “You can feel that,” said Sir Dave Brailsford, the Team Sky general manager. “Just riding around, actually seeing how many kids are out on their bikes, all in their little pelotons going off to school. It’s a fabulous demonstration of what a sport can do.” With the defending champion, Vincenzo Nibali, and his main rivals and fellow Grand Tour winners Chris Froome, Nairo Quintana and Alberto Contador all in fine form, this promises to be one of the most exciting Tours in years. Flat, short and fast, it should present few difficulties to the stage favourites, although the arrival of rain forecast late in the afternoon could scupper the chances of those scheduled with later departure times. “It’s a nice parcours,” said Etixx-Quick Step’s German time-trial specialist Tony Martin. “It would suit a lot of riders. At the moment it’s my main objective and it’s a big deal for me personally.

While I’m here to support the other guys, for the moment it’s just Saturday that counts. I hope the course will be in the same condition for everybody.” Sitting down table from Martin, Mark Cavendish seemed reasonably relaxed as he looked forward to his first Tour de France since coming a bone‑crunching cropper at the conclusion of last year’s opening stage in Harrogate. Although a pedal has not yet been turned in anger, he did fail to disguise his irritation upon being asked if the absence of the German sprinter Marcel Kittel, through illness, would increase this own chances of adding to his tally of 25 Tour de France stage wins. With a shake of his head and a weary sigh, he got on with a part of his job he appears to relish even less than ascending Alpine peaks: answering questions in press conferences. “Sure, but there’ll be 200 riders there at the start, so take any of them and it’ll increase my chances,” he said, before pointing out that his team have the personnel to challenge for most of this year’s stages.

Asked much the same Kittel-related question again, but in a slightly different way, Cavendish visibly bristled and pointed out that it is bike races, rather than individual rivals, for which he tends to yearn. “To be fair, I miss the races more,” he explained. “I crashed out of the first stage of last year’s Tour de France and missed the race. I was in superb form and had to sit at home and watch it, which wasn’t easy. I’ve tried to come to the Tour de France in the same form I was in last year and get back to winning ways.” Like many other riders in this year’s Tour, Cavendish comes into the race on the back of one his best ever seasons and, barring misfortune, looks a certainty to prevail in the two sprint finishes he has publicly stated would be a satisfactory return for his endeavours. There are so many in-form contenders contesting this year’s race. “Everyone’s in form, it’s box office time,” said Brailsford. Get the popcorn on.

Question: In which Dutch city did the 2015 Tour de France start?
Answer: UTRECHT